By Callum Ludwig
Yarra Ranges Council’s 2024/25 Budget has been signed off on the Tuesday 25 June council meeting.
With funding commitments and project timelines finalised, as well as community feedback onboarded, the Star Mail looked at what the Council coffers will be supporting in the Upper Yarra.
Chandler Ward Councillor David Eastham, whose jurisdiction covers the Upper Yarra townships of Wandin and Seville, said he there was few key items that stood out for him.
“We heard loud and clear the need to increase investment in drainage, there’s a 30 per cent increase from last year on maintaining our roads for parks and trails, an eight per cent increase on maintaining parks and sporting facilities, bushlands and reserves,” he said.
“That conversation around bushland and environment goes through to the next point I’ve got here which is the 70 per cent increase in caring for the environment and responding to climate change with that emergency element as well.”
Yarra Ranges Council has predicted slight reductions in both revenue and expenditure since the draft budget; down from revenue of $253.6 million and expenditure of $235.8 million to $252.9 million and $235.1 million respectively. This has seen the total surplus drop from $18.8 million to $17.8 million but the Council has maintained its net operating deficit of $3.5 million.
Council has stuck with its estimated $68.3 million expenditure through the Capital Works Program, of which $25.1 million will be rates funded, $1.6 million from contributions from various sporting clubs or other community groups and the rest through borrowings and external grants.
As reported upon the release of the draft budget in late April, projects in the Upper Yarra that will receive or continue to receive funding include:
$8.2 million for the continued development of the Warburton Mountain Bike Destination (a multi-year project with State and Federal government funding),
$339,000 for easement creation to improve drainage for Britton Road in Seville,
$316,000 for drainage improvements to address flooding and erosion on Schoolhouse Road, Woori Yallock,
$219,000 for footpath rehabilitation on McKenzie King Drive, Millgrove
$516,000 for pavement rehabilitation work to address pavement deficiency on Swales Road, Macclesfield, the road accessing the new Cire Community School campus in Monbulk from the direction of the Upper Yarra (multi-year project, using Roads to Recovery funding).
The public toilet facilities in Wandin North and the McKenzie King Playspace in Millgrove are also up for renewal.
A few road sealing projects will proceed on Alfred Street and John Street, Wandin North ($1,493,000 still to be spent), the Alpine Street group in Warburton ($130,000), the Bell Street group in Seville ($135,000), the Station Road group in Seville, ($75,000), Tainton Street and Railway Parade, Wandin North ($1,148,000), the Victoria Road group in Seville ($740,000) and Gruyere Road in Gruyere between Harvey Close to Darling Road ($363,000).
$171,000 will also be spent to renew and upgrade parts of the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail.
The final budget also includes a pie chart depicting how Yarra Ranges Council will allocate spending per $100 of rates;
Capital Works program projects chew up most of the money, with $20.36 going towards renewal projects and $9.02 for new projects.
$14.04 goes towards Council’s customer service and support services while roads, drains and footpath maintenance ($11.94) and parks, garden and recreation ($10.11) are the only other categories accounting for over 10 per cent of rates spending.
Property and facility management ($7.10), Council’s recently reduced health, aged and family care services ($5.19) and animal management, community safety and public health and compliance ($4.09) are the next to follow.
The Creative Communities program ($3.64), planning ($3.41), environment ($3.20), community recovery ($2.96), libraries ($1.88), community partnerships, development and engagement ($1.29) and civic governance ($1.06) round out the list. 71c of the per $100 rates spending is undisclosed.
